Keeping Up With The Bandermann's: Halfway to ONE!

Our baby is SIX MONTHS OLD! That's HALF A YEAR! Wow...never in a million years did I realize how amazing (and incredible and challenging and I could go on and on) becoming a parent would be. Everyone said how fast the time would fly, and sitting here thinking that it has been SIX MONTHS since we were having her seems like it has gone by in the blink of an eye. But there have been (and will be) hard days that felt long. We are so blessed to have this amazing little gift...our little Brynn Elise Bandermann! She has taught us how to be parents (and obviously we are still learning EVERY DAY) and she has taught us a glimpse of what God's unconditional love for us is like. We have learned to appreciate our own parents even more. We realize that just like we are willing to pretty much sacrifice anything for Brynn, they were the same way for us. And even though Brynn isn't old enough for us to discipline her yet, we have been laughing at how true the phrases "this is going to hurt me more than it hurts you" and "I'm doing this because I love you" really are! HAHA! We are just amazed at how she continues to grow and learn, and we fall more in love with her each day. Her smiles and little belly laugh could turn anyone's bad day into the best day ever!

I'm 6 months old!

Some things we want to remember about 6 months...(sorry this is long, but I will forget this stuff if I don't write it down).

She weighs somewhere in the 16 pound range, but we will get her official weight and length this week at the doctor.
She is wearing size 2 diapers.
Most clothes are 6-9 months, although some seem a little big. I tried to put a 3 month onesie on her the other day and she is too long for those now.
Her typical day (Monday through Friday) goes something like this. I get up around 6 and get ready and pump. We wake her up at 7 and get her ready for Nonna's. Ryan takes her to Nonna's. At Nonna's she takes a bottle at 7:30ish and then has rice cereal and fruit. She takes a morning nap from around 9-10:30. Most days Nonna wakes her up (so she won't sleep too long in the morning and will take a good afternoon nap). She plays and then takes a bottle and has veggies around 11:30. After more playing (she likes to sit and play with her toys or watch the big girls) she takes an afternoon nap from about 12:45-3:15ish. She has to be woken up a lot of the time. Sometimes Nonna gives her a bottle about 3:45, but occasionally I nurse at home around 4. I pick her up a little before 4 and we go home and play. She takes a little 45 minute catnap from about 5:30-6:15. Then she has rice, veggies, and fruit. We play with Daddy, eat supper, take a walk, etc. and then around 8:30 I nurse and we put her down for the night. The only thing different on the weekends is that I try to nurse each time. Sometimes at 11:30 and 3:30 she doesn't nurse as well. She wants to look all around and play. But she always nurses well at night.
I'm pumping 3 times a day, and nursing at night. She is still drinking only breast-milk. =)
At 5 months we introduced yellow veggies, after 2 weeks we introduced green veggies, and 2 weeks later we introduced fruits. So by this point she is eating any stage 1 fruit or veggie. She is a GREAT eater...she seems to love anything we put in front of her. YAY!
New this month...she is SITTING UP all by herself SO WELL! She loves to sit and chew on toys and hold things.
We think she is teething and her new favorite toy is Sophie the Giraffe.
She LOVES to blow bubbles/spit (not spit, but I guess "blow raspberries?") on people and she does it all the time. We used to do it to her because it would make her laugh and now she does it to everyone...maybe we should quit teaching her that! HA!
She isn't crawling, but she can move herself around a little bit. She pulls herself a little.
She loves the Baby Einstein jumpy seat and can really get going! She also does pretty good in the jump-up toy.
Changing her diaper is getting harder...she wants to roll around on the table and pull at the curtains.
She had her first "sickness" this month...a cold. Our pediatrician had us get saline spray and baby benadryl to help. It messed her naps up for about a week, and her nighttime sleep for one night. Her nose was runny/stuffy.
She is a social little thing. She LOVES when we are around lots of family or friends. She just is so happy and content. I am so thankful for that, because we have been able to take her to lots of different things (Cape football game, friend's houses for dinner, restaurants, etc.) and she is so good. We usually try to accomodate to her schedule somewhat (go to dinner when she is supposed to be awake, has just eaten, etc. and I think that helps). I just love her little personality!
Favorite toys seem to be Sophie the Giraffe, her cloth baby from Target, and Ling-Ling (the panda Linz and Dad got in China).